Art aficionados and nature lovers alike should plan on making a stop at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. With its greenhouses, sculpture trail and chromatic flower display, the 55-acre Botanical Garden offers sanctuary from downtown's bustle. The art museum is just as beautiful: Housed in the original Georgian-style Cheek family mansion at the heart of the grounds, the museum boasts an impressive collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art, as well as antique furniture, temporary exhibitions and artifacts from around the world.

Located approximately 8 miles southwest of downtown Nashville, the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission for adults costs $12, seniors (older than 65) pay $10 and children ages 3 to 17 enter for $5. The museum also hosts numerous festivals — for more information, check out the Cheekwood website.